Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Polypropylene

Baroness McIntosh of Pickering: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the reduced supply of polypropylene, (2) the increased price level of polypropylene, and (3) the impact this will have on supplies for medical use.

Lord Callanan: BEIS officials are in regular contact with the British Plastics Federation (BPF) who have informed them that there are global pressures affecting the demand and supply for some plastics polymers including polypropylene. These pressures are currently shared with a number of different materials sectors. The BPF regularly surveys its members on key issues and have passed on information outlining that these pressures are due to a variety of issues including the current pandemic and some instances of extreme weather that has affected production. Officials will continue to work with the sector and with other government departments to monitor the effects of such issues, especially if they appear to have an impact on vital supplies of products that are needed for medical use.

Department of Health and Social Care

Hospitals: Coronavirus

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the report by the Healthcare Safety Investigation Branch COVID-19 transmission in hospitals: management of the risk – a prospective safety investigation, published in October 2020, what steps they are taking to support NHS staff who have experienced fatigue and emotional distress during the COVID-19 pandemic; and what assessment they have made of the impact of such effects on staff on the NHS’s ability (1) to mitigate against nosocomial transmission, and (2) to respond to any further rise, of COVID-19.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the report by the Healthcare Safety Investigation Branch COVID-19 transmission in hospitals: management of the risk – a prospective safety investigation, published in October 2020, what steps they are taking to develop a national strategic focus on adapting NHS work systems to mitigate any risks associated with staff fatigue.

Lord Bethell: Following extensive engagement with front line staff, NHS England and NHS Improvement recently issued a suite of online products to support excellence in infection prevention and control measures. These products propose actions to tackle fatigue, including creating a culture of kindness and support, an environment which allows staff to speak up and a focus on changing behaviours in non-clinical areas, where staff have been found to be at greater risk of contracting COVID-19.The National Health Service has put in place a national health and wellbeing offer, which will be maintained during 2021/22 and includes access to a confidential helpline and text service, a range of apps and an online portal of guidance and materials. The content of this offer will continue to be refreshed, based on staff feedback, usage rates and evidence of outcomes.In November 2020, funding of £15 million was announced to establish 40 mental health and wellbeing hubs nationally. Twenty-two hubs are now active with the remaining due to mobilise by spring 2021. The NHS People Plan also puts health and wellbeing at its core. This includes a new wellbeing guardian role which will ensure board level scrutiny of health and wellbeing support for staff; continued support for staff to get to work and free car parking; a focus on healthy working environments and safe spaces for staff to rest and recuperate; and support to take breaks and annual leave.

Coronavirus: Mental Health Services

Baroness Scott of Needham Market: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether patients presenting with 'long-COVID' symptoms following (1) diagnosed, or (2) undiagnosed COVID-19, are recommended to participate in the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies programme for medically unexplained symptoms.

Lord Bethell: Integrating working between mental health and physical health services is an important principle of the treatment and rehabilitation of people with ‘long’ COVID-19. The National Health Service is supporting the establishment of assessment clinics in England for patients with long COVID-19 symptoms who were diagnosed with the virus or who were undiagnosed but suspected of having had COVID-19. This will include specialist physical, cognitive or psychological assessment.Following assessment, people with persistent mental health problems that involve depression, anxiety or post-traumatic stress disorder should be considered for a referral to an Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) service. Where appropriate, people can be referred to IAPT for long term conditions and medically unexplained symptoms service where they exist.

NHS: Procurement

Baroness Hooper: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the potential impact on the principles of (1) transparency, and (2) accountability, of their proposed changes to NHS Procurement in England.

Baroness Hooper: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to amend their proposals for the reform of NHS procurement in England so that, once a decision in principle to proceed to a competitive tender has been made, the procurement rules are the same as those applicable to the rest of the public sector.

Baroness Hooper: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of how the proposed reform of procurement by the NHS in England will (1) prevent, and (2) address, conflicts of interest within integrated care systems in which providers and commissioners are working together.

Lord Bethell: NHS England is currently consulting on the proposal for a new provider selection regime. The central requirement of the proposed new regime is that arrangements for the delivery of healthcare services must be made in a transparent way, in the best interests of patients, taxpayers and the population. All other procurement will continue to be subject to Cabinet Office procurement processes.The proposed new provider selection regime will set out overarching requirements in relation to the competitive tender exercise - for example, that it must be transparent and fair. NHS England’s consultation seeks views on the proposed key criteria to be considered when decision makers are running a competitive tender to ensure that services are arranged in the best interest of patients, taxpayers and the population. The proposal will include steps that decision-making bodies can take to manage conflicts of interest when arranging services. We will also develop a broader conflict of interest policy in relation to integrated care systems to address this issue specifically.

Travel: Quarantine

Lord Balfe: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written AnswerbyBaroness Vere of Norbitonon 8 February (HL12760), what is the weekly number of tests able to be carried out by NHS Test and Trace; what is the estimated number of tests required for the Test to Release for International Travel scheme; and how testing as part of that scheme helps to "safeguard testing capacity”.

Lord Bethell: Since 15 February, NHS Test and Trace has had the capacity to deliver around 750,000 polymerase chain reaction tests every day. According to Passenger Locator Form data, 61,193 individuals opted-in to Test to Release during the week 15 to 21 February. Testing for Test to Release is delivered only by private testing providers that meet a specific set of minimum standards, therefore the number of individuals that choose to opt-in to Test to Release does not impact on NHS Test and Trace’s ability to deliver tests.

Mental Health Services: Young People

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to provide targeted mental health support to unemployed young people.

Lord Bethell: We remain committed to the aims of the NHS Long Term Plan to invest at least an additional £2.3 billion a year into mental health services for all ages, including for children and young people aged 0 to 25 years old, by 2023/24. We are introducing new models of care that will give 370,000 people, including young adults with serious mental illness, greater choice and control over their care and that will support them to live well in their communities. These models include access to employment support.

Travel: Quarantine

Lord Balfe: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Vere of Norbiton on 8 February (HL12760), why NHS Test and Trace tests do “not meet the minimum standards required to legally release a traveller from self-isolation upon providing a negative result”; and on what basis they are using lateral flow tests as part of the Test to Release International Travel scheme.

Lord Bethell: NHS Test and Trace tests are not being used for the Test to Release scheme as this is an optional scheme for international arrivals from non ‘red list’ countries to allow them to shorten their isolation period. NHS Test and Trace testing is for people who have symptoms of COVID-19 or who are clinically advised to take a COVID-19 test. Testing for Test to Release must be a polymerase chain reaction test purchased from a private testing provider.

Care Homes: Safety

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government which national body or agency is responsible for conducting overarching, independent investigations into patient safety concerns in residential care homes in England.

Lord Bethell: The Healthcare Safety Investigation Branch (HSIB) can investigate individual safety concerns in care homes if the patient’s care is National Health Service-funded and the referral meets their investigation criteria.The Care Quality Commission (CQC) monitors, inspects and regulate services to ensure they meet fundamental standards of quality and safety, while the local authority takes the lead in safeguarding cases. As part of this, the CQC inspects and rates residential care homes and nursing homes, which includes assessing how safe care homes are and taking action to protect people from harm and to hold those responsible for poor care to account. There are cases where both agencies may be involved. Complaints can also be investigated by the Health and Safety Executive, Health Service Ombudsman or Local Government Ombudsman.

Coronavirus: Travel

Lord Balfe: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Vere of Norbiton on 8 February (HL12760),what plans they have to change the format of NHS Test and Trace to allow it to “provide a result notification in a format that would be acceptable to meet the new pre-departure testing requirements”.

Lord Bethell: There are no plans to do so. NHS Test and Trace testing is for those with symptoms of COVID-19 or who are clinically advised to take a test and are not to be used for international travel.

Care Homes: Safety

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to extend the remit of the Healthcare Safety Investigative Branch to conduct overarching, independent investigations into patient safety concerns in residential care homes in England.

Lord Bethell: The Healthcare Safety Investigation Branch (HSIB) conducts independent investigations of patient safety concerns in National Health Service-funded care across England. Currently, it can investigate patient safety concerns in care homes if the patient’s care is NHS-funded and meets the HSIB’s criteria for its national investigations. There are also plans in place to amend the NHS Health and Care Bill to extend the HSIB’s remit to identify and address patient safety risks in the provision of NHS services and other healthcare services in England.

Travel: Quarantine

Lord Balfe: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Vere of Norbiton on 8 February (HL12760),what plans, if any, they have to make tests carried out by NHS Test and Trace acceptable for the Test to Release for International Travel scheme; and what assessment they have made of the ability of the private sector to provide COVID-19 tests for that scheme.

Lord Bethell: NHS Test and Trace testing is not being used for the Test to Release scheme as this is an optional scheme for international arrivals from non ‘red list’ countries to allow them to shorten their isolation period. The private sector has successfully delivered tests for this scheme since its introduction on 15 December 2020.

Coronavirus: Employment

Lord Jones of Cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether employers can insist that employees have a COVID-19 vaccine; what actions an employer can take in respect of (1) employees who refuse to have a COVID-19 vaccine, and (2) employees who refuse to work with employees who have refused the vaccine other than on medical grounds; and, in such circumstances, what are employers' health and safety obligations to their employees (a) individually, and (b) collectively.

Lord Bethell: The United Kingdom operates a system of informed consent for vaccinations. Employers are bound by a range of legal obligations to their staff including under employment, equalities, data protection and health and safety law and they will need to ensure that any vaccination policy is consistent with those legal duties.

Coronavirus: Screening

Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the false positive rate from rapid lateral flow test carried out on asymptomatic school children.

Lord Bethell: Public Health England and Oxford University have estimated the false positive rate among asymptomatic school children is fewer than one in every 1,000 lateral flow tests.

Montelukast: Children

The Lord Bishop of London: To ask Her Majesty's Government what recommendations have been made by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency regarding the prominence of warnings concerning mental health risks associated with the use of Montelukast in children; and what is the timescale for implementation of any such recommendations.

Lord Bethell: Warnings on mental health risks associated with the use of montelukast in children are included in the product information and in prescribing and other resources available to health professionals and patients. The warnings were strengthened in 2019 and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency issued an alert in its Drug Safety Update bulletin for prescribers. However, in response to concerns raised and in line with independent expert advice, more prominent warnings will be included in product information and patient alert cards and safety leaflets will be provided to patients. These materials are currently being developed and are expected to be introduced later this year.

Department for Education

Overseas Students: Fees and Charges

Lord Storey: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byBaroness Williams of Trafford on 10 March (HL13719), whether (1) universities, and (2) independent schools, are permitted to accept payment of course fees in cash.

Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay: Universities, as autonomous institutions, are responsible for ensuring their compliance with the law. They need to uphold applicable public interest governance principles in order to meet the regulatory requirements of the Office for Students, the independent regulator for the higher education sector in England.To be registered with the Office for Students, a higher education provider must have in place adequate and effective management and governance arrangements to deliver them in practice.Whilst universities can accept cash payments, the Department for Education has spoken to representatives of the sector and understands that very few universities do this.Independent schools are private businesses and, like universities, their handling of cash payments is subject to the same regulation as for all businesses.The government’s money-laundering regulations require firms to combat money-laundering and to ensure that key professionals identify their customers and understand the purpose behind transactions, including the source of funds. Universities and independent schools are not within the regulated sector, but those most at risk from money-laundering – including banks, money service businesses, lawyers, and accountants – are in scope.

Turing Scheme

Lord Bassam of Brighton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the number of students likely to make use of the Turing scheme each year from its launch until 2030.

Lord Bassam of Brighton: To ask Her Majesty's Government how the financial aid available through the Turing scheme compares to that available through the Erasmus+ scheme.

Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay: The Turing Scheme will be backed by £110 million to support international projects and activities during the 2021/22 academic year. This will provide funding for around 35,000 students in universities, colleges, and schools to go on placements and exchanges overseas, a similar number as under Erasmus+.This was set out in a one year Spending Review, but the government has a clear aim to use this scheme as part of our long-term ambitions for a Global Britain. The benefits of the exchanges will be assessed and used to build on the scheme. Funding decisions for subsequent years will be subject to future spending reviews.Grants available through the Turing Scheme are comparable with Erasmus+ for the most part, but there is also new support available for disadvantaged students and students with special educational needs and disabilities which was not available through Erasmus+. All participating students will receive grants dependent on their destination country to contribute towards their cost of living. The grant support available under the Turing Scheme is currently slightly higher than that under Erasmus+. Under the Turing Scheme, we will provide a grant of £335–£380 per month, plus a disadvantaged supplement of £110 per month. With Erasmus+, under current exchange rates, students received a grant equivalent to £315–£360, with a disadvantaged supplement of £100. Students can continue to apply for student finance.For schools and colleges, all participants will receive travel funding, whereas Erasmus+ only provided travel support to higher education participants who travelled to Partner Countries, which was around only 3% of UK participants. With the Turing Scheme, we are introducing funding for travel costs for disadvantaged higher education students to all destinations. Additionally, we are providing funding for visas, passports, and related travel insurance for disadvantaged participants in all sectors.For participants with special educational needs and disabilities, the scheme will fund up to 100% of actual costs for support directly related to their additional needs, as Erasmus+ did, with the new addition of preparatory visits for staff to carry out risk assessments and ensure their students will be able to access and take part in all elements of a placement equally. More information on funding available can be found at: www.turing-scheme.org.uk.For all students participating in the Turing Scheme, we expect tuition fees to be waived by host institutions, as under Erasmus+. This is a matter for individual institutions to agree, and something that universities do as a matter of course when they form exchange partnerships with international providers.

Ministry of Justice

Prisons: Visits

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what criteria need to be satisfied to allow family visits of prisoners to resume; what date they plan to resume family visits of prisoners; and what plans they have to provide more video-capable telephones in prisons.

Lord Wolfson of Tredegar: Social visits in adult prisons have been suspended during the period of national lockdown, but will resume once it is safe to do so.Decisions will be based on public health advice, assessments of local outbreaks and ability to safely facilitate visits, and so dates may vary between different sites. No sites will resume visits before the end of March when the ‘stay at home’ order is expected to be lifted under the government roadmap on easing restrictions.Visits to children in the youth custody estate and compassionate visits to adult establishments have continued throughout national lockdown.Secure video calls have now been introduced at all prisons across England and Wales, though there are no plans to provide video-capable telephones at this time. Currently 66% of prison cells have in-cell telephony. Additionally, within open prisons, mobile phones have been permitted as a transitional measure for family contact. Further considerations for their use are being made in line with regime recovery and availability of secure video calls across all open prisons.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Tigray: Cultural Heritage

The Lord Bishop of Coventry: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the statement by the International Council on Monuments and Sites on 5 March that Tigray's heritage is falling victim to fighting and "cultural cleansing".

The Lord Bishop of Coventry: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the governments of (1) Ethiopia, and (2) Eritrea, about the need (a) to take immediate steps to prevent any further damage to the cultural sites of Tigray, (b) to safeguard and respect all cultural property in Tigray, and (c) to ensure that looted objects are restored to their communities.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We are deeply concerned by reports of violations of international law and international human rights law from Tigray, and have raised our concerns with Ministers in the governments of both Ethiopia and Eritrea, making clear the overriding need to protect civilians and adhere to international law and international human rights law. We are concerned by reports from Tigray of attacks on places of worship as well as damage to cultural monuments and artefacts. Our Embassy in Addis Ababa has been in contact with the UNESCO offices in Addis, and is monitoring matters carefully. We are concerned by the growing weight of credible evidence of atrocities in Tigray, including looting. The Minister for Africa has called for the withdrawal of Eritrean forces. We welcome the announcement, on 26 March, of their withdrawal and call for this to be immediate and unconditional. We have clearly set out the need for independent, international, investigations into allegations of human right abuses and violations. We have also stressed the need for Ethiopia to safeguard its incredible diversity of faith and identity. Respect for cultural heritage is part of this, alongside freedom of expression and freedom of religion and belief.

Overseas Aid

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to adopt the target set by the Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015, to spend 50 per cent of their aid budget in countries affected by conflict.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: In November 2020 the Foreign Secretary announced a new strategic framework for how the UK's Official Development Assistance will be spent in 2021. The framework sharpens our focus on the seven global challenges where the UK can make the most difference including: climate and biodiversity; Covid and global health security; girls' education; science and research; open societies and conflict; humanitarian assistance; and trade. This year, the Foreign Secretary will lead a cross-departmental review on a new development strategy to ensure close alignment of UK aid with the objectives to be set out in the Integrated Review.

Overseas Aid

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to provide relief for civil society in those countries affected by conflict where the UK has sought to bring an end to violence.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The FCDO works closely with civil society partners in countries affected by conflict, on conflict prevention and resolution and related issues including humanitarian relief.This year we will establish a new conflict centre within the FCDO and prioritise the resources of the cross-government Conflict, Stability and Security Fund on the foundational link between stability, resilience and security, and work with governments and civil society in regions that are of greatest priority to the UK. This activity will be supported by funding of £874 million for 2021-22. We will continue to work with civil society to increase our impact on conflict in priority regions, and to ensure support is directed to help the most vulnerable.

Occupied Territories: Human Rights

Lord Blencathra: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans, if any, they have to call for a vote on resolutionson the human rights situation in Palestine and other occupied Arab territories under item 7 of the current session of the United Nations Human Rights Council.

Lord Blencathra: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their position on the resolutions on Israel to be considered under (1) item 2, and (2) item 7, at the current session of the United Nations Human Rights Council

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK has stood up for Israel when it faces bias and unreasonable criticism, and has been clear that the existence of a dedicated agenda item in the Human Rights Council ('Item 7') is damaging and does little to advance dialogue, stability or mutual understanding. The 46th session of the Human Rights Council is currently in session. This government will continue to vote against all Item 7 resolutions. At the same time, we will not stop raising valid concerns about Israel's actions. That's why we engaged constructively with negotiations on the Item 2 resolution on the human rights situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. However, we ultimately abstained, as we judged that the final resolution text needed to address more fully the conduct of Hamas and other militant groups in Gaza, particularly Hamas' treatment of the Palestinian population of Gaza.The UN and its member states have every right to address issues of concern in a measured, balanced and proportionate way. We will continue to support scrutiny of Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories in the Human Rights Council, so long as it is justified, proportionate, and not proposed under Item 7.

Occupied Territories: International Criminal Court

Lord Blencathra: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 9 March (HL13569), what assessment they have made of the reported concerns of the governments of (1) the United States, (2) Australia, and (3) Canada, about the International Criminal Court opening an investigationinto alleged war crimes in the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: UK officials are in regular contact with US, Australian and Canadian authorities on a range of issues and are aware of their views on this matter. We respect the independence of the International Criminal Court, and we expect it to exercise due prosecutorial and judicial discipline.

Mediterranean Sea: Migrants and Refugees

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the call by the UN Refugee Agency and the International Organisation for Migration on 20 August 2020 to strengthen the search and rescue capacity of refugees and migrants in the Mediterranean to prevent further loss of life.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Search and Rescue in the Mediterranean continues to have an important role in saving lives at sea. The UK Government remains concerned about the continued high number of migrants crossing the Mediterranean and the number of fatalities.Since October 2015, the UK has allocated over £175 million of humanitarian assistance in response to the Mediterranean migration crisis. Any assistance assigned to Libyan search and rescue entities should be made conditional on no one being arbitrarily detained, ill-treated or subjected to human rights violations post-disembarkation.

Syria: Chemical Weapons

Lord West of Spithead: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the statement by the Courage Foundation on the investigation by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons into the alleged use of chemical weapons in Douma, Syria, publishedon 11 March; and what steps they intend to take in response.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We welcome the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) Fact-Finding Mission's thorough and evidenced report on the incident in Douma on 7 April 2018. The Fact-Finding Mission concluded that a toxic chemical, likely chlorine, was used as a weapon. We have confidence in the report's methodology and conclusions.The Director-General of the OPCW has confirmed that that the OPCW Technical Secretariat took all views and evidence into account in reaching its conclusions. The Director-General answered fully questions put to him at sessions of the United Nations Security Council in December 2020, May 2020 and November 2019.

Israel: Palestinians

The Earl of Sandwich: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by Save the Children Defenceless: The Impact of Israeli Military Detention on Palestinian Children, published on 29 October 2020; and what representations they have made to the government of Israel.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: With reference to the answer to question HL10992 given to the noble Lord on 15 December:We are concerned by the findings of the Save the Children's report entitled,'Defenceless: The impact of the Israeli military detention system on Palestinian children'.We remain committed to working with Israel to secure improvements to the practices surrounding children in detention. Our Embassy in Tel Aviv have a regular dialogue with Israel on this issue. We also fund projects providing legal aid to minors and capacity building to local lawyers. We continue to call on the Israeli authorities to comply with their obligations under international law.

Tigray: Crimes against Humanity

The Lord Bishop of Coventry: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that the government of Ethiopia is removing evidence of human rights atrocities in Tigray; and what steps they are taking to enable international monitors access to investigate these reported atrocities.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Since the conflict started the UK has consistently called for independent, international investigations into atrocities reported in Tigray, and for the Government of Ethiopia to ensure full access for human rights organisations. We have made this clear to the Government of Ethiopia. We note the statements by Ethiopia's Deputy Prime Minister at the UN Human Rights Council session, and from the Office of the Prime Minister on 26 February committing Ethiopia to independent investigations into allegations of human right abuses and violations.

Tigray: Refugees

The Lord Bishop of Coventry: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that the Ethiopian army is preventing Tigrayan refugees from crossing the border into Sudan.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We are aware of reports of refugees being unable to cross the border into Sudan. We have raised the need to prioritise the protection of civilians with all parties to the conflict, and made clear our expectation that the Governments adhere to their obligations under international humanitarian law.We continue to provide support to tackle the humanitarian situation in Tigray and to the over 60,000 refugees that have fled the conflict into Sudanese refugee camps.

Home Office

Forced Marriage

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byBaroness Williams of Trafford on 8 March (HL13499), how many cases were brought forward for (1) forcing someone to marry, and (2) breaching a forced marriage protection order, under the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, in (a) 2014, (b) 2015, (c) 2016, (d) 2017, (e) 2018, (f) 2019, and (g) 2020.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The number of offences forced marriage recorded by police forces in England Wales able to supply data to the Home Office can be found in the table. Data for the whole of 2020 is not yet available. This will include cases where an attempt to commit a forced marriage offence was thwarted as well as completed offences.Table: Forced marriage offences, England and Wales* YearNumber of offences20154420169920177620181282019131 *Excludes police forces: Kent, Wiltshire, Staffordshire, Humberside and Greater Manchester Police.

Northern Ireland Office

USA: Belfast Agreement

Baroness Hoey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to establish a common understanding of the provisions of the Belfast Agreementwiththe government of the United States.

Viscount Younger of Leckie: The Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Northern Ireland are grateful for the deep interest in Northern Ireland shown by President Biden and the new United States Government. The steadfast US support for the Belfast (‘Good Friday’) Agreement and the gains of the peace process is undoubtedly one of the key reasons behind its enduring success. The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland engages regularly with stakeholders from across the political spectrum in the United States on matters of importance to the Irish American diaspora, which includes a number of meetings over the past week. That is also the case for a number of colleagues across Cabinet and the British Embassy in Washington.

Northern Ireland

Baroness Hoey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that citizens of Northern Ireland have the same rights as citizens of other nations in the United Kingdom.

Viscount Younger of Leckie: The Government is firmly committed to ensuring the ongoing recognition and protection of rights for all people across the UK.Guarantees of equality and rights, which recognise the unique circumstances of Northern Ireland, are a fundamental part of the Belfast Agreement.The Government remains firmly committed to upholding the Belfast Agreement in all its parts, including the important rights it protects, the constitutional principles it upholds, and the institutions it established.